


Rebuild

by owlmoose



Category: Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: Character Study, F/M, Gift Fic, between games, ffex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 18:49:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1658723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlmoose/pseuds/owlmoose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What's a summoner to do when there's nothing left to summon, no Sin left to defeat? Dona begins to search for her own answers. Written for the 2014 round of the DOINK! Final Fantasy Gift Exchange.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rebuild

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wimblydonner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wimblydonner/gifts).



> Prompt: "I'm interested in the social changes and modernization in Spira. After living in a world where death and destruction always seemed imminent, people now have a lot more opportunity to build something lasting and to choose their own path. I'd like to see what a particular character (major or minor) thinks about their freedom & opportunities or how they respond to them." After some thought, I decided to choose Dona and Barthello, because I've always wondered how they ended up on opposite sites of the Youth League/New Yevon divide. This is at least a start at an answer. Wimblydonner, I hope you enjoy it! :)
> 
> This story fits within the [Aftermath](http://archiveofourown.org/works/19886/chapters/25549) continuity, but you don't need to have read that story to understand this one.

"Do you ever think about what woulda happened?" Barthello sat up into the square of moonlight that fell across the bed, his brow furrowed. "If we'd gotten to Zanarkand before Yuna, I mean." 

"Then I would be dead, and you would be Sin." Dona leaned back on the pillow, hands crossed behind her head. Curious, that the thought didn't bother her more. But Dona had never been much for dwelling on what-ifs. "Either that, or I would have been the one to see through Yunalesca's lies, and now you and I would be the saviors of Spira, not High Summoner Yuna and her rag-tag band." She closed her eyes. "But it didn't happen that way, so why does it matter?" _And why bring it up now, months after the fact?_

"Just wondering." The bed squeaked as Barthello lay back down and leaned into her, strong and warm, wrapping his beefy arm around her waist. "I think about it a lot." 

"Why?" Dona turned her head to look at him. He brushed a tendril of hair back from her forehead. "It's not like you expected anything different. You've known what I planned for as long as you've known me." 

Barthello frowned. "Maybe that's why. I never thought about the future back then. Because I knew there wouldn't be one. But now..." He pressed their foreheads together, screwing his eyes shut. "Now I do think about it, and it scares me, so I can't stop thinking about it." 

Dona was torn between a desire to gather him into a hug and the need to roll her eyes at him. She settled for patting his shoulder. "Well, it didn't happen. And it's never going to happen. Now would you please go to sleep?" 

He nodded, and then he kissed her, long and slow; she laced her fingers behind his neck and kissed him back. "Or maybe not," she purred, and he kissed her even harder, pressing her into the pillows. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down the tight muscles of his back as he rolled over on top of her. 

With a sigh, she tipped her head backwards, and he trailed kisses down the side of her neck, his mouth soft and warm, her back arching to press bodies closer together. She was already naked; she slid his pants off, then stroked the back of his calf with the instep of her foot, marveling at the smooth curve of his leg. He groaned, then caught her mouth in another kiss, lips opening as he pulled her ever closer, his fingers tangled in her hair. Their hips shifted and he moved inside her; she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in, their breath shuddering in unison. Lifting her head to his again, she kissed him hard, gasping into his mouth, sharing the life that would never be taken from them again. 

-x- 

Barthello fell asleep afterwards, but Dona lay awake, his words echoing in her mind, preying on thoughts she tried hard to avoid. She got out of bed, careful not to disturb him, and pulled on her robe before walking to the window that looked out over the Luca harbor. 

They had come here after discovering the empty chamber in Zanarkand, to wait out whatever was going to happen after Yuna turned everything on its ear: defying the temples, destroying the Final Summoning. And here they had stayed, after Sin was defeated and everyone else went home; Barthello occasionally mentioned packing their things and taking the ferry to Kilika, but she always put him off. She had never really thought about why. There'd been no rush to get back, or so she'd always told him. Luca was pleasant enough. And what was waiting for them in Kilika, anyway? No family, not many friends. They'd never really needed anything but each other. They could have that anywhere. 

But really.... 

Dona sat down on the windowsill and considered the moonlight as it danced over the waves. Kilika was on the other side of those waters, and she still thought of it as home. But she'd finished her training and then left for good, just as she'd always known she would, and she didn't look back. Looking forward was always better than looking back. If she returned to Kilika, it was the same as admitting failure. Not that the failure was her fault. Not precisely... 

She closed her eyes and leaned back, hitting her head against the windowsill with a soft thump. "Damn you, Barthello," she muttered under her breath. "Why bring it up at all? We were much happier when I wasn't thinking about any of this." She didn't want to think about the duplicity of Yevon, or her failure to complete the Final Summoning, and she especially didn't want to think about the empty spaces her aeons had once inhabited. Did the other summoners feel this way? For a single, mad moment, Dona considered making her way to Bevelle and Isaaru, asking him what he did about the lack of connection, how he avoided probing it like a sore tooth -- or the empty socket where that tooth used to be. 

Yuna, she supposed, was closer, but she'd be damned if she asked Yuna for help. Besides, going to Besaid meant taking the ferry through Kilika, which brought her right back to the place where this chain of thought had started. Dona sighed, then sat up. "Enough," she said aloud. Behind her, Barthello stirred, but he didn't respond -- she looked over her shoulder and saw that he was still sound asleep. Well, maybe some fresh air would help. She let her robe fall to the floor as she walked to her wardrobe, then dressed and headed for the door. For half a second, she considered leaving a note, but she discarded the idea. Maybe it would be better to leave him wondering. The door closed behind her, and she walked down the stairs and into the silent night. 

-x- 

_Sin rains down on the world, its corporeal form reduced to an endless shower of pyreflies, streaming down from the sky like gentle fireworks. Cheering crowds fill the streets of Luca; Dona stands with them, curiously hollow. She's supposed to be the one up there, defeating Sin and bringing the Calm. Not Yuna, not any of the others. It's supposed to be her..._

_And then something wrenches inside her, twisting in the pit of her stomach. Not a pain, not exactly, but still she sways and lifts a hand to her forehead._

_"Dona?" Barthello, at her elbow, catches an arm around her waist, speaking directly in her ear to be heard over the shouting and whistling. "Dona, what's wrong?"_

_"Noth-- ahh!" She falls to her knees as the wrenching wrongness moves up into her head, then fills her heart. Colors explode behind her eyes, blinding her to everything around her. And then just as suddenly, they vanish, replaced by an onrushing emptiness that envelops her, as surely as Barthello has wrapped her in an embrace._

_The world snaps back into focus and her aeons are gone._

_Gone, as though they never were._

_Dona forces herself to rise, to shake off Barthello's hands and his look of worry. "I'm fine," she snaps. "Just fine. Show's over. We're leaving."_

-x- 

Dona walked into that same square and stopped at the base of the fountain, looking up into the dark sky, dotted with stars rather than pyreflies. The moon hung low, and the horizon behind her was streaked with pink. The sun would be up soon, and soon the streets would be filled with merchants opening for the day, blitzers on the way to the stadium, workers heading to the docks. But at this hour, the square was still empty, and Dona took advantage, sitting at the base of the stone steps to the Highroad. 

She could take those steps, walk out of the city and back into the world. Even without her aeons, she still had a decent hand with elemental spells, enough to deal with garden variety fiends. Or she could rent a chocobo. Or get a ride on one of those machina flyers. And then just go. Somewhere. Anywhere but here. The open road, no pilgrimage to curtail her movements, no competition, no goal but freedom. 

Then she sighed. A trip without a goal, without any competitors to keep her sharp? It sounded almost as boring as sitting around in Luca. Besides, she couldn't leave without Barthello. And, though he would follow her anywhere she went, she knew where he wanted to go. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was time. If it meant facing the weight of failed expectations, so be it. Surely no one could be more disappointed in her than she was disappointed in herself. 

She sat on the steps, watched the moon set, and steeled herself for the rest of the day. 

-x- 

By the time she returned, Barthello was awake, sitting with a cup of tea in hand and a towel around his waist, staring out the window. She cleared her throat, and he started, then stood up and turned around, face flooding with relief. Dona wasn't sure whether to be touched or irritated -- nothing was going to happen to her on the streets of Luca, and surely he knew well enough by now that she wasn't about to walk out on him. 

"Let's go home," she said. 

"Home?" Barthello looked around, brow furrowed, and then his expression lightened, the morning sun catching his deep-set eyes. "You mean..." 

She nodded. "I bought tickets for today's ferry." 

Barthello sighed, set down his tea, and walked over to her, cupping her elbows in his hands. "I thought you would never ask." 

Dona leaned forward and kissed him. He pulled her into an embrace, his hands tight against her back. "Thank you," he murmured. 

She shook her head and pulled away. "It's time to go home, that's all," she said. Putting her hands on her hips, she cocked her head sideways and looked at him. "Don't make anything more of it." 

He smiled at her. "Of course not." 

"Now go pack," she said. "I want to get out of here." 

-x- 

Another night passed, followed by another morning, and Dona woke, disentangling herself from Barthello to put herself in order and go out on deck. The overnight voyage had been uneventful, the gentle rocking of the ship lulling her to sleep despite her nerves. 

The deck was nearly empty, as was the rest of the ship. Not many people traveled to Kilika these days. Rumor had it that the rebuilding effort was going slowly without Yevon to pull everyone together. Dona did not miss Yevon, but she did wonder, sometimes, how Spira was going to run without its leadership. Not that it was her problem. 

She climbed up to the deck above the captain's cabin and took a seat under the shade, leaning against a pole and facing the direction of the island. Its green hills peaked over the horizon, and she steeled herself for the first sight of the port. Would it still be the near ruin it had been upon her departure, almost a year ago? Or had the natives managed to pull together enough to at least start on repair work? 

As they pulled closer to shore, Dona heard Barthello climbing the steps. "There you are." 

She shifted enough to give him room to sit next to her. "Just here for the view," she said. 

"Home," Barthello said with a deep sigh. "It's good to see it again. And better than when we last saw it. Look, the walkways are back." 

That much was true -- the paths extended over the water in all directions, even further than they had gone before the last Sin attack. "Not much progress for almost a year's work." Something at the docks caught her eye and she stood up, walking to the rail, peering into the distance. "Hmm. Do you recognize that ship?" 

"I hear that some of the priests regrouped in Bevelle." Barthello joined her at the rail. "They're calling themselves New Yevon. Maybe it's them?" 

Dona snorted. "Typical. Can't let go of the past, not even in the future." 

Barthello shrugged. "Someone needs to be in charge," he said, in uncanny echo of Dona's own earlier thoughts. He leaned forward, squinting. Then he shook his head. "But maybe not. I don't recognize the banner." The ferry still flew a tattered flag emblazoned with the symbol of Yevon; Dona had winced when she first saw it. Better to fly no flag at all than a symbol of a ruined regime. But this other banner was different -- pale yellow, with a device in blue and black. 

The shouting of the sailors on deck saved her from needing to come up with a response. "We're here. Let's go." She lifted her pack to her shoulder and Barthello followed, hefting his larger one. As the ship bumped against the dock and the sailors worked to pull it into place, she stood at the top of the gangway, tapping her foot. 

The port was busier than she had expected, given the emptiness of the Winno. People crowded around the dock to get on the ferry to Besaid, and there was quite a bustle around the other ship, the one with the strange banner. 

As soon as the walkway was ready, she strode out onto it, head high. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw eyes turning her direction, heard a murmur go through the crowd -- "Lady Dona, it's the lady summoner, she's come home, is she here to stay?" They looked at her, and she favored them with a smile and a raised hand. It seemed she'd returned to an adoring public, although she wasn't quite sure why. She had failed in her quest, after all. 

The crowd parted as she walked through them, to the continued whispered and waves and a few prayer bows. She nodded to the people as the passed, but said nothing. She wasn't here to make speeches or take charge. She was just coming home, that was all. Another knot of people had gathered along the walkway, at the gangway from the unknown ship. Dona glanced up at the name painted along the side: S.S. Meeru. Then she looked back at the group -- made of up strangers, most wearing old Crusader uniforms. Instead of stepping aside, a woman with long red hair stepped forward, hand outstretched in greeting. "Lady Dona? And Sir Barthello. A pleasure to meet you both." 

Dona paused, then suffered herself to take the hand and shake it, stepping aside so the woman could greet Barthello as well. "And you are...?" 

The woman pulled back into a brisk salute. "I am Lucil, formerly Captain of the Chocobo Knights, now a founding member of the Youth League." 

"The Youth League?" 

Lucil nodded. "An organization made up of the young people of Spira, mostly former Crusaders, who believe the best way for us to reconcile with our past is to expose Yevon's secrets and move into the future. We used to be part of New Yevon, but--" she shook her head sadly and looked at her feet. "They proved themselves untrustworthy." 

Dona crossed her arms. "Are you really surprised?" A wave of heat surged through her chest -- anger, she realized. Anger at Yevon, who would have seen her and Barthello sacrifice themselves for nothing. Would a New Yevon really be that different? 

"More than you might think," Lucil replied softly. Then she looked up with a warm smile. "Our leader, Meyvn Nooj, was hoping that you might return to Kilika. He'd like to meet with you, if you're available." 

Nooj... that was a name Dona knew, vaguely remembered from her life before. Not that she'd ever met him -- he'd been younger than her, and he'd run off to join the Crusaders as soon as he could. But his exploits as a Crusader had been legend, reports often coming back to the island, especially when he'd been brought back from death. She shrugged. "All right." 

Lucil saluted again, heels clicking together. "Thank you. We've set up temporary headquarters in the old Crusader Lodge, which is where you'll find the Meyvn. Do you need a guide?" 

Dona shook her head. "We know the way. Barthello?" 

The group finally stepped aside, and Dona made her way past, turning right at the end of the walkway. Now that they were off the ship, she could see more signs of progress: pilings that would serve as foundations for new houses, piles of boards ready for construction stacked neatly along the edges, several crews already at work. And the walkways were well-built, substantial enough to survive Kilika's annual winter storms. More impressive than she had thought. Was the Youth League responsible for all this? 

There was more bustle inside the Crusader Lodge, where several people gathered around a table, deep in conversation. As they entered, the man at its head looked up, eyes lighting with recognition behind his spectacles. A man who, from his bearing and his machina arm, could only be the Meyvn Nooj. "Ah, the Lady Dona. I'd heard rumors that you were arriving." 

Dona put a hand on her hip. "Fast rumors, Meyvn, since I only just decided to return yesterday." 

He smirked. "You'll find that secrets don't last long in Kilika." 

"Will I?" Dona stared hard at him; he looked calmly back, then glanced around the table. 

"Dismissed," he said with a quiet wave of his good hand. The other men and women got up and left, talking amongst themselves. Once the last of them had left, Nooj stood, levering himself up using a thin metal cane. "So, Lucil sent you here?" 

Dona nodded. "She said you'd been hoping I would come back to Kilika. May I ask why?" 

Nooj sat back down. "For your support, of course. The support of a former summoner would be of great help to our cause. Yours, especially." 

"And why is that?" 

He tipped his head to the side. "Surely you saw that you are still respected here." 

"I also saw that the rebuilding effort progresses faster than I had heard." Dona took the chair at the other end of the table. "Your influence?" 

"The influence of the Youth League," Nooj said. "New Yevon wasn't devoting the necessary resources to rebuilding, so we stepped in. Former Crusaders and others from throughout Spira, dedicated to making Kilika Port stronger and better than ever before. What better symbol of Spira's rebirth? Certainly better than New Yevon's dedication to repairing the temples." 

"You'll get no argument from me there." Behind her, Dona heard Barthello shift from foot to foot, but she ignored him. "But I'm still not sure what you need me for. I'm not a construction expert. Or, to be frank, particularly motivational. If you want the pretty speeches about unity and friendship, call Yuna. Not me. We're leaving." 

She started to stand up, but Nooj lifted his chin to look her straight in the eye. "What makes you think I'm interested in figureheads or pretty speeches? I'm more impressed by people who speak through their actions. And I think you are, too." 

Dona paused, half standing, then sat back down. "You don't know me." 

"Only by reputation." His half smile returned, then vanished. "And I'm intrigued by what I've heard." 

"I could say the same to you," she said. "So far, your actions speak well enough. I suppose I could stick around and see how they measure up." She waved around the table. "Are these meetings a regular thing?" 

"Weekly." Nooj leaned back in his chair. "Progress reports, on the rebuilding effort and projects elsewhere." 

"Elsewhere?" Dona arched a brow. "You're more ambitious than I expected." 

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Nooj said. "But there's more to uncovering the past to build the future than just reconstructing Kilika Port." 

"True enough." She paused. "Well. Maybe I'll come to the next progress meeting. If we're still here, of course." 

"Of course." Nooj nodded. "You'd be more than welcome." 

"We'll see," Dona replied, and stood up again. "Barthello?" She stepped out of the lodge and back into the sun. Barthello was behind her, and she turned to him. "Well?" 

"He said the right things," Barthello replied slowly, "but I dunno. Can we go back to the temple? I want to see what they have to say, too." 

"I suppose. Tomorrow, maybe. But let's start with the inn." They were here, and here they would stay. For now. 


End file.
